Room’s play in goal gives Crew reason for optimism

No one needed to look further than the No. 1 on his jersey to know Eloy Room was the one the Crew chose to replace arguably the club’s best goalkeeper.

Zack Steffen’s contributions won't soon be forgotten, but just 19 minutes into a game against the Montreal Impact on Saturday, Room made a diving save to his right that showed fans they can trust the native of Curacao as the last line of defense.

“I know for myself I can stop the balls, but it's nice if you have a save like this in the beginning of the game and you hear the fans screaming your name,” Room said. “It's obviously a good feeling."

The player Room replaced wasn’t just a great shot-stopper. Steffen became elite at playing the ball with both feet and was incredibly vocal in goal. At 30 years old and with 156 starts in the Dutch first division over a decade, Room brings those same qualities into a locker room that is trying to build some confidence after going more than two months without a win.

“Right off the bat, Eloy is going to be a leader in our locker room and in our team,” coach Caleb Porter said last week.

Before the 2-1 victory over the Impact, Room hadn’t started a game for a first-team club since Oct. 30, 2018, with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. But he was still in good form by the time he arrived in Columbus from his time with the Curacao national team.

Room was a star in net during the team’s surprising run to the quarterfinals in the Gold Cup before it was knocked out by the U.S.

Room said he spoke with Steffen a few months before he knew the Crew was interested in him. They spoke about what Steffen could expect in Europe and Room mentioned he might be interested in making a move to Major League Soccer.

Then before kickoff against the U.S., Room told Steffen that he was headed to Columbus and the two have remained in contact.

Playing in the MLS was always on the table for Room. Being out of contract after Eindhoven’s season finished, he felt like it was the right time toleave the only league he had played in during his professional career.

“When I heard about the interest of Columbus, I directly knew this is perfect for me,” he said.

Joining the team during a slump of one win in 16 games wasn’t the easiest transition for Room, but he’s been in enough tough stretches to know how to assimilate into a team’s fabric.

To be the leader that Porter knows Room to be, the keeper will need to back it up with his play. His performance in the victory over the Impact showed plentyof promise.

"I have a lot of experience with this, but when you come in like this, it's difficult in a team if the confidence is low,” Room said. “But I try to focus on the guys and help the guys to keep their energy and keep their confidence, and in training help the guys.”